2026 tax year · Maryland
Delivery and rideshare driver taxes in Maryland
DoorDash, Uber, Lyft and the rest report your gross and withhold nothing. The gap between that and what you are actually taxed on is mileage, in Maryland that gap is worth $3,887 in tax.
Take a driver who grossed $42,000 over 18,000 business miles. After mileage at 74.3 cents and the rest of the stack, worked through on the delivery and rideshare driver page $14,505 comes off and $27,495 is left as taxable profit. That profit is what Maryland and the IRS charge against.
What that leaves you owing in Maryland
Maryland uses graduated 2026 income tax brackets topping out at 6.5%, across 10 brackets, on top of federal income tax and self-employment tax.
| Self-employment tax | $3,885 |
| Federal income tax | $756 |
| Maryland income tax | $1,161 |
| Total tax | $5,802 |
| Effective rate on gross | 13.8% |
Earning more in Maryland
A single filer taking the standard deduction, standard mileage method, this work as the only income, the calculator above handles the other filing statuses. Miles rise with earnings, so the deduction rises too, and the effective rate on gross climbs more slowly than it would for someone whose income grew without expenses attached:
| Volume | Gross | Mileage off | Taxable profit | Maryland tax | Total tax | Rate on gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time, a few evenings | $15,000 | $4,826 | $10,174 | $397 | $1,834 | 12.2% |
| Steady side income | $42,000 | $13,365 | $28,635 | $1,212 | $6,099 | 14.5% |
| Full-time dashing | $68,000 | $22,275 | $45,725 | $1,966 | $10,713 | 15.8% |
Switching state opens that state's page.
Enter your numbers and press Calculate to see your 2026 estimate.
Maryland specifics that change the number
On the 2026 rate itself: new 6.25% and 6.5% high-income brackets added in 2025 BRF Act, effective retroactively.
Maryland's standard deduction is a percentage of adjusted gross income with a floor and a cap, which this calculator cannot express, so it is not applied. Maryland tax shown here is computed on full income and is therefore slightly overstated.
Maryland also has local income tax that the estimate above does not model, all counties require local tax filing (2.25% to 3.20% depending on county). Add it separately for where you live and work.
Driving across a Maryland line
Driving income is sourced to where the wheels were, not where you live. Take a fare or a delivery that ends in the next state and that state can claim the income earned inside it. Most drivers near a border never file the second return, the amounts are small and the platforms do not split earnings by state. But the obligation exists, and it is the state you drove INTO that would come asking.
On $27,495 of profit, what the states around Maryland would charge:
| State | Its tax | vs Maryland |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $711 | −$542 |
| Pennsylvania | $844 | −$409 |
| Delaware | $1,138 | −$115 |
| Virginia | $1,323 | +$70 |
| Washington DC | $1,450 | +$196 |
- West Virginia would take $542 less, $711 against Maryland's $1,254.
- Pennsylvania would take $409 less, $844 against Maryland's $1,254.
- Delaware would take $115 less, $1,138 against Maryland's $1,254.
- Virginia would take $70 more, $1,323 against Maryland's $1,254.
- Washington DC would take $196 more, $1,450 against Maryland's $1,254.
Delivery and rideshare driver tax questions in Maryland
How much should a Maryland driver set aside?
About 13.8% of gross on the $42,000 example, $5,802 across self-employment tax, federal income tax and $1,161 to Maryland. Set aside from each payout rather than finding it in April.
Does the $42,000 on my 1099-NEC match what Maryland taxes?
No. Maryland taxes profit, not gross. After $14,505 of deductions the taxable figure is $27,495, so the Maryland bill is $1,161 rather than what gross alone would suggest.